Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The PGA Tour's version of spring break

You hear it every year but the difference between last week at the Masters and this week at the Verizon Heritage can’t exaggerated.

You name it, it’s different.

From pine trees to palm trees.

From a major championship to a major decompression.

Under gray skies Tuesday afternoon, there was a line of kids wrapped around the putting green waiting for their chance to hit two putts under the guidance of former Clemson golfers Lucas Glover and Charles Warren.

Make one and you received a backpack. Miss and you still had a memory.

Charlotte’s Johnson Wagner was on the putting green, waiting for his wife to call and tell him to come home because she’s going into labor.

“I think I can make it in 3 ½ hours,” Wagner said.

That’s after getting out of the web of roads and roundabouts in and around the Sea Pines Resort.

Charles Howell III played nine holes, hit some putts and chatted it up with acquaintances.

Nineteen-year old Rory McIlroy was there and so was his girlfriend from Ireland, over on a spring break trip.

Ernie Els was hanging around. So were Camilo Villegas and local hero Boo Weekley.

No one seemed to be in any hurry to get anywhere.

The business end of this week starts on Thursday. Until then, it feels like spring break for the PGA Tour.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Garcia said..No way he said or wrote his "apology". What a jerk.